Country’s top clubs face tricky opposition in Equity and Bidco as they aim to reach the final of FKF Cup
Can AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia live up to their seniority status by renewing acquaintances in the final of the Betway Cup final on July 4?
This is the question on the lips of the faithful of the two clubs which stalk inexperienced opposition in the double-header semi-finals at Utalii Sports Grounds on Sunday.
The winner of the knock out tournament shall represent Kenya in the 2022 CAF Confederation Cup. While Leopards take battle to giant-killing Division 1 side Equity Bank in the early kick off at 1pm, Gor face adventurous Betway Premier League side Bidco United from 3pm.
With K’Ogalo breezing past clueless Kariobangi Sharks 2-0 in the quarter finals and Ingwe beating Tusker 1-0 it would be utterly discordant for the Mashemejis to underestimate their respective semi-finals opponents.
Most will agree that football dynamics have changed if a team like Equity can humble Bandari 1-0 in the last eight and Bidco squeezing a similar win over ‘big-timers’ Nairobi City Stars.
Against Bandari, Equity, under former Sofapaka trainer John Baraza, were unshakeable which is why it is far-fetched to think that Leopards will have things their way.
Equity have very talented players like Sunday Katumba, the scorer of the day against the Dockers, Branson Wangai and Levian Ochieng’ and it was little wonder that Baraza said the team has come of age.
“When we reached the quarter finals, I told the players they are no longer boys but men and they should strive to go all the way in the championships. You could see that they demonstrated hearts of lions and they should pull out all the stops to show what stuff they are made of,” said Baraza.
The same tenacity was displayed by Bidco against City Stars and if such players like Alex Juma, Peter Nzuki and Stephen Waruru click as they have done in the last few matches, Gor defence will certainly have a lot of work to do.
According to pundits, Equity and Bidco possess the pedigree to represent Kenya in the Africa competition if their performance in the quarter final stage is any guide. Having said that, it is evident that a win, especially for Leopards, will come as a huge relief for a team that has been in continental football wilderness since 2017 when they were eliminated in the CAF Cup by unfashionable Fosa Juniors of Madagascar in the first round.
This is unlike Gor who are pe- rennial campaigners in Africa inter-clubs events with their last appearance being this year when they were tossed out of the same competition by Napsa Stars of Zambia.
